Full of hope and gunning for a medal, Eddie Bone's green and golds stormed through the pool stage of the tournament, winning five from five to head into the elimination stage of the 2020 games full of confidence.

A medal seemed a formality, such was the dominance of the Hockeyroos. These games produced Australia's best start to an Olympics since 1996 - a year that produced a gold medal for our women's hockey elite.

But a low-scoring thriller brought about their untimely demise, cruelly a game short of medal contention - again.

India, having scraped into the quarter-finals winning just two of their five pool matches, are through to the semi-finals after the upset of the games at Oi Hockey Stadium.

The Hockeyroos endured a tough 2016 Olympic campaign at Rio, falling at the quarter-final stage of the tournament after being beaten by New Zealand 4-2 in the final eight stage.

The Hockeyroos now haven't won a medal at an Olympics since Sydney 2000, when the Australian women defended the gold medal they won at Atlanta four years earlier with another dominant campaign on home soil.

An emotional Hockeyroos skipper, Bone said her side simply didn't put away the opportunities it created.

The Indians matched the runaway Pool B winners throughout the first two quarters, and came closest to breaking the deadlock when Rani's angled deflection rattled the right post as lively Indian attackers caused real problems for the Hockeyroos' defence.

Australia certainly had their chances, with India goalkeeper Savita being tested numerous times before the Asians snatched a shock lead when Gurjit Kaur's penalty corner drag-flick somehow found its way into the bottom right corner.

The Hockeyroos threw everything they had at India in the latter stages, winning numerous penalty corner opportunities. However, Savita stopped the three times Olympic gold medallists from getting the goal they so desperately needed..

"There's all sorts of emotions that are going on," Bone said.

"Disappointment, but I'm still really proud of the way that we played today. We came in with lots of momentum, we created lots of opportunities and unfortunately that's how sport goes sometimes.

"It can be cruel and today just wasn't our day unfortunately."

The men's side, the Kookaburras, are through to the semi-finals.

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